A Lighthouse's Tale
by If You Know What I Mean
Summary: Sasuke accepts a job working at a lighthouse for reasons unknown to everyone but himself. Naruto, the lighthouse’s owner’s son who also lives at the lighthouse, befriends our favorite Uchiha, showing him not only how to love but how to be loved in return.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**Hola! Kimi speaking. I promise to update faster on this story than my last one, but I'd still like to say that I was not to blame. If there had been SOME sort of internet connection up there, I might have been able to get onto Fanfiction, but Fairmont is this puny little town where barely anybody lives and I highly doubted anyone in the nursing home was going to have wireless internet. Anyway, here is my second story which is going to be 10 times better than the first as I am going to be having my friend Rachel commenting on it. So, enjoy A Lighthouse's Tale!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything relating to it, nor do I own the song this story is based on, A Lighthouse's Tale by Nickel Creek. I do however, own this plot. So ha! … oO**

ENJOY!!!

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**_SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU_**

A Lighthouse's Tale

**Sasuke's POV**

Sasuke sat, staring out the bus window into the starry night sky. Street lights breifly illuminated his face as the silent night bus drove on down the desolate road. Gravel was kicked up from underneath the wheels, whipping the windows and leaving a layer of dust on the clear surface. The bus driver sat unseen by the silent black-haired boy as the tall seat covered his body. But he, on the other hand, would glance up occasionally into the mirror to study the quiet boy sitting 4 rows back.

It was strange that _anyone_ would be riding out this way, towards Rock's Edge, but seeing this 16 or 17 year old boy, sitting alone at that, was just plain baffling. He seemed good-looking enough to be able to get a girl and maybe even a guy if he ran that way. It didn't seem like he was lacking in the money department either, considering his flawless ivory skin and neatly pressed clothes. Yet… there _was_ something off about him. Like… an ominous presense, yet… it didn't seem foreboding or dangerous or anything like that… It just seemed… depressing.

"Hey, kid, where're ya headin'?" the driver questioned finally, pulling up at a stop sign before continueing on down the dirt road. Sasuke sat silent for a moment before turning forward in his seat to face the man.

Those eyes… god, those eyes. What were they? Black holes? They seemed like bottomless pits, so empty and cold. The driver looked away, scared that looking into them any longer would cause some sort of omen to arise.

"Rock's Edge…" He replied, his low, smooth voice sliding out like soft, sweet velvet. Such a beautiful boy, the driver thought, shivering a bit as he thought he felt the temperature drop at least 10 degrees from the young boy's cold stare.

"Well, I fig'red that!" he laughed nervously, thrumming his fingers against the steering wheel. Just call it a nervous tick. "But where? I mean, there ain't no place up here 'cept that damn ol' lighthouse over by the ocean."

Sasuke turned his head back out the window, his eyes seemingly staring at nothingness. "That's where I am going." He replied icely, his back straight and firm against the cushioned, pleather bus seats.

"No way a young'n like you can be goin' down that way. What about yer school, or yer friends. Ain't ya gonna be leavin' those behind? Ya don' look much older than 16. Ain't ya got a girly back home too?"

Too many questions, Sasuke thought bitterly, annoyance flickering in his eyes. The bus driver, who was still drumming his fingers repeatedly on the steering wheel, much to Sasuke's exhasperation, completely missed this due to his nervousness. "I don't have any friends and girls are just a waste of my time."

Short, not-so-sweet, and to the point; that's how the bus driver would describe this kid. Smooth looks but his attitude seemed to have some rough edges. A diamond in the rough, some might call him, but the driver, judging from the boy's bad temper and anti-social aura, decided to call him a bad egg or a black sheep. Either way, he didn't seem like he would ever be changed. But… maybe… an thought suddenly struck the driver. Turning quite quickly for his body build, the older man asked, with some sort of excitement in his voice, "Ye did say you was goin' to the lighthouse down by the rocks, right?"

"Yes," Sasuke practically hissed, his patience already running low.

"Well, all-be… You gonna be staying with Umino-san and his son, ain't ye?" Sasuke stared at the now laughing man in disgust. What a waste of my time. Probably doesn't have anything to do with me, damn stupid old coot, he thought, ignoring the sudden laughter. Little did he know, it had _everything_ to do with him.

Maybe… jusy maybe this kid's got some hope left. It's all up to Naruto. The old driver cackled joyously, turning up the driveway towards the old lighthouse. "Alright, sunny, take care." Sasuke looked at him with distrust in his eyes, but continued to descend the bus stairs, his black suitcase slung over his shoulder.

"Alright, Naruto…" The bus driver mused aloud to himself once Sasuke had walked out of hearing distance. "I wish ya luck with this one. It'll take a miracle to cure this'n. And that miracle might jus' as well be you."

Sasuke trudged up the hill, stepping carefully onto the stone steps. As soon as the house was in sight, he began to size up the place; the wooden house sat somewhat lopsided on the undulating hills, resting in the nook in between. A rickety old deck curved around the outside where a couple of seats and a make-shift table were placed outside. There was an old and worn-out soccer ball sitting in the corner of the unstable outer deck and something that Sasuke assumed must have been a goal at one point in time. The whole place was in bad need of a new layer or two of paint. Heck, it probably wouldn't even be worth it to do _that_ much. That's how utterly crappy this place was. Beyond the roof of the house, Sasuke could see the tip of the lighthouse peeking over, the light already shining brightly, breaking through the night fog. There was a huge hunk taken out of the top side and a part of the railing was missing. Not the safest place either, Sasuke thought moodily. Deciding that criticizing his new living area was not going to do him any good, he shoved his hands in his pockets after readjusting his bag ans set off towards the door. A small light in the window let him know that someone was indeed up inside the house. He stopped in front of the door and hesitated knocking.

I mean, was this such a good idea. Taking off from home like that so unexpectedly. It's not like anyone would care… or even notice for that matter, but still… Sasuke shook his head, hoping to clear the cobwebs from his mind. He was away from home now and it would be no use thinking of it. Slowly, he raised his hand to knock on the door…

Only to have it swing open before his hand had touched the splintering wood. A cheerful blond stood in the doorway, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. "You're HERE!" His smile grew to where Sasuke got a look of his pearly white teeth. Good hygine, he mused. "OI!!! IRUKA, OUR GUEST'S HERE!" The over-enthusiastic boy turned back to Sasuke, holding out his hand in a welcoming gesture. "Hey, you must be Sasuke, ne? The name's Naruto."

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**Naruto's POV**

"Iruka-senpai, Iruka-senpai, Iruka-senpai, Iiiirrruuuukaaaa-seeenpaaaiii!!!" Naruto hollered, accenting each call with a bounce as he hopped over to his brown-haired gaurdian. Naruto was a cute, short, mischevious blond-haired boy of about 16 years of age (though he rarely acted like it). His bright, lively cerulean eyes held a sense of beauty and life, almost like they were smiling at you. His skin was lightly tanned from working outside everyday, his hair a mess as he never bothered to take the time to tame it. His nails were short and stubby because, if he were to grow them out, he'd just break them anyway while working with the lighthouse, so why bother, was his thought. Another thing about Naruto was that he could basically get anyone to talk, no matter who the person. He was just good at doing that. Sometimes it would result in a fight due to his bothersome talking or laughter from his crazy antics, but either way you looked at it they would be talking. His smile was like the sun, lighting up the room with its pure happiness and innocence, dripping with sincerity. Once couldn't help but be filled with joy whenever they laid eyes on this boy; he was just that sort of person. And when he cried, one felt like crying to. His large, shining azure eyes would shimmer as tears built up on his lower and upper lashes, his mouth would set in a pout and his entire demeanor would practically scream '_help me! pity me!_' He was full of such joy and curiousity and hope for things, he was like a medicine. Though sometimes he may be stubborn and other times he may be a nuisance, his good traits always won you back over.

Iruka, on the other hand, was a sweet, quiet, goody-goody, brunette who was only about 29 years old. He was almost everything Naruto was not. While Naruto was a ticking-time bomb, Iruka practically had enough patience to make up for both of them. And Iruka was also one to always follow the rules while Naruto, on the other and, was created to break rules. There was not a single one Iruka had heard of that he'd never broken. But then again, those were written rules. Ones that good citezens were expected to follow. And while, no, Naruto was anything BUT a good citizen, he was naturally a good person. No, he was an amazing person, almost like a fallen angel. Iruka had seen this when he had paid a visit to the orphanage about 11 years back. He remembered the incedent quite clearly. There had been so many little kids, running around, laughing and playing with eachother, but one, a little boy of about 5 sat on the swing at the very back of the playground, his eyes trained on the ground as he slowly rocked back and forth. And Iruka, being the goody-goody he is, felt a pang of sandness overwhelm him as he stared at the lonely boy. Without a second thought, he walked towards the boy, sitting down beside him on the other swing.

"Hey," Iruka broke the silence, looking expectantly at Naruto. The little blond boy's eyes flicked up from the ground and landed on Iruka's. They seemed to light up in hope as he slowly broke out into a hesitant smile. "The name's Iruka. What's yours?"

"Naruto..." he'd said quietly, almost meekly, yet that smile continued to grow. "Naruto Uzumaki." His voice begain to grow with his smile.

"Nice to meet you Naruto." Iruka said, breaking off into silence once again. "Say," Iruka started suddenly, "What're you doing all the way over here? Shouldn't you be playing with the other kids?"

Naruto's smile never faltered and he answered in a somewhat confident voice. "Nah, I get in trouble to much by pulling stupid pranks. Their parents don't want them to hang out with me." Iruka's smile turned into a frown at this. How could they...? I mean, he's just a little boy. And almost as if he could read Iruka's thoughts, Naruto smiled once again, saying "Don't worry Iruka-sama, it's their parents that are asking them to do it. I know it's not their fault. They're not the ones I should blame. Besides, as long as I can have fun on my own, I'll be alright. Honest, Iruka-sama, honest."

"I don't doubt that Naruto. However..." Iruka hesitated, debating briefly over whether or not this was the right choice. But he quickly over-rode any doubts when Naruto tilted his head to the side, reminding him of a lost puppy. "I know you can make it on your own, however... what do you think of coming home with me?" Naruto's face brightened at the word home.

"Really? Are you serious Iruka-sama?!" He leapt off the swing, bouncing on the heels of his feet eagerly.

"Of course. Why would I kid?" Iruka smiled, stretching out his hand towards the large-blue-eyed little boy.

Once he'd told the orphanage workers about which child he would like to adopt, they burst out into laughter, giving him an 'are you crazy?' look. Iruka just glared at them, clutching Naruto tighter to his side. The little boy's smile had faded and his face was now buried into Iruka's shirt, his fists clenching onto the fabric tightly. One eye peeked out to watch the scene before him.

"You do know what you're getting yourself into, right? That kid's uncontrollable. You'll be back here within a week, if not days. He's a monster, that one." Naruto clung tighter to the taller man, looking up at his face to gauge his reaction. Iruka seemed appalled, his eyes narrowed in disgust.

"You people are sick. Treating an innocent child like this, how could you? I am fully aware that he may be hard to deal with, all kids have their downfalls. But I'm still unsure as to why you continue to treat him in such an ill manner. Maybe, if you didn't treat him like a monster, he wouldn't act like one towards you guys." Iruka yanked the release papers from the bewildered chairman's grasp, not even bothering to sit down as he signed the last of the papers. "I'm leaving, and if you have a problem with it, you can find me at that address." Before anyone else could utter a word, Iruka dragged Naruto out of the wretched office, pulling the wide-eyed little boy up to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around the shivering blond.

"Don't worry Naru-chan..." he said soothingly. "We're going home." And with that, Naruto smiled, resting his head in the crook of Iruka's neck as he let himself be carried away from the orphanage. And they had never heard from those orphanage workers either.

Iruka smiled, reminiscing about the past. He was brought out of his reverie however by one very cute, but very loud, Naruto. "IIIRRRUUKAAA-SEEENPAAAIII!!! Iruka-senpai!!!" The brown-haired man sighed, turning around in his seat to face the bouncing boy who was acting immature for his supposed age of 16. Still, he smiled fondly at the over-hyper boy, knowing full well that without his little companion he would be completely isolated and alone out here as no one ever came to this lighthouse. It was an oldfashioned one that still required manual labor and most people just weren't into that kind of stuff these days. Which is exactly why Iruka was shocked that someone had answered to his ad in the paper about a helper needed. He had talked to the boy who had told him he was 18 years old, old enough where he wasn't required to have his parents say in the matter. The boy hadn't spoken much on the phone, just said that he would do everything Iruka asked as long as he was given a room to sleep in and food to eat. It seemed like the perfect plan. He would get the help he needed (Naruto helped out a lot, but sometimes it just wasn't enough with all of the labor the old lighthouse took) and Naruto would be able to have a friend his age. Finally, Iruka thought.

"When's he gunna get here!?" Naruto asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Iruka laughed, shaking his head in wonder at the boy's curious amount of energy.

"Soon Naruto. He said he would be coming tonight by the bus. And you know how late that bus arrives here from when we ride out to town, right?" Naruto sighed, nodding his head slowly.

"Yeah yeah... I just hope he's nice. Then we can become the BEST OF FRIENDS and do EVERYTHING together. And then, maybe I can show him my secret place, ne, Iruka?" Iruka smiled.

"You haven't even shown ME that place and yet here you are, considering showing some stranger this unknown thing of yours Naruto? Oh, I'm hurt!" he said in a warm tone, laying a hand dramatically over his heart as if to show that it was breaking. Naruto, however too this seriously.

"No, no Iruka, don't think of it like that! It's not like that, REALLY! I mean, it's not exactly a secret. I know you've been there before. Plenty of times actually. But there's something special about it that only I know. And it's not that I don't want you to see it, it's just that..." Naruto sighed, feeling defeated as he tried to express his thoughts in the right words. It was just so hard to do for the little blond. He could never get them just right. Either the other person would take it the wrong way or they would just brush it off as if it were nothing. Expressing things throug words were never Naruto's strong point. "Hey, Iruka? I have an idea. I'll make it up to you tomorrow night, okay? I'll show you something just as cool, though it won't be the actual secret place, okay?" Naruto reasoned, looking hopefully at his father figure.

"Naruto, I didn't mean it like that. I know that it's special to you, so I'm not complaining about who you show. I was just playing around." Iruka stopped in the middle of his sentence, catching that slightly dejected look on Naruto's face. "But... I _would_ love to go see this other place of yours tomorrow night... If that's alright with you." This must have been the right choice to say because Naruto excitedly threw his arms around Iruka's neck, squeezing him tightly as he sang, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" over and over.

"Alright Naruto, but if we're going to be able to do this tomorrow night, we're going to have to wake up and finish our work a bit earlier so we will have time. That means you have to go to bed now, alright?"

"But, Iruka..." Naruto whined, pushing out his lower lip in a pout. "I wanted to see the helper first..." Iruka gave him his 'no-nonsense look, killing any hope Naruto had of staying up late. "Alright, alright.. I'll go to bed..." slowly, Naruto stood from his chair, taking his time just in case Iruka were to change his mind. "Okay... I'm going to bed now." He slowly began meandering towards the kitchen door which led out to the staircase. "I'm... on my way to bed..." he said again, looking expectantly back at his father, waiting for any sign or indication that he would give in to Naruto's pleas. "I'm... out the door..." Naruto called, dragging his feet in an attempt to slow his journey.

"Naruto!" Iruka called. Naruto shot back into the kitchen, staring hopefully into the older man's honey colored eyes. Iruka just smiled and said, "Go to bed." Naruto sighed again in defeat, trudging back out the kitchen door and up towards the stairs. As he was passing the main entrance, however, he caught a glimpse of something just outside the window. He stopped in his tracks, blinking repeatedly as he tried to quickly adjust his eyes to the night's darkness. Slowly, he could see the from of a boy... about his age, standing outside the door, almost as if he were comtemplating whether to knock or not. Naruto beamed excitedly. This had to be him, the boy he was going to befriend and the helper Iruka had hired. Without a second thought, Naruto swung the door open, the hinges groaning in protest.

"You're HERE!!!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, a large toothy smile spreading over his face. Finally, a kid his own age!!! Naruto couldn't wait to get this friendship thing started. "OI!!! IRUKA! OUR GUEST'S HERE!!!" Turning back towards the now slightly bewildered boy, Naruto held out his hand, welcoming the boy with a handshake. "Hey, you must Sasuke, ne? The name's Naruto." Slowly, but surely, the boy grasped Naruto's outstretched hand as Naruto bobbed their hands together up and down in a violent manner, totally missing the other boy's hesitant and wary expression. Iruka appeared in the door frame, smiling warmly at the boy standing outside in the darkness. That's when Iruka noticed something off about the scene. The boy... wasn't smiling. In fact, he seemed quite detatched and out of place, standing there with his hand in Naruto's over-enthusiastic grasp. Maybe... maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

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**Hey!!! Kimi here! If you want me to update sooner, review! Actually, either way I'm most likely going to update in a day or two, but reviews ARE greatly appreciated!!! this is only my second story so still be easy on me. My fragile emotions can't take too many flamers. I've got the basic storyline set up, so it won't take too long to update. Thank you for reading and I hope you keep checking back for updates on A Lighthouse's Tale!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hola! Kimi here. I'm actually very happy with my idea for this story, so I will continue to update quickly (for me anyway), though I do have a couple of questions to ask you. Do you prefer…**

**1) Possessive Sasuke / Possessive Naruto**

**2) Jealous Sasuke / Jealous Naruto**

**3) Sasuke as a Hero / Naruto as a Hero**

**4) Embarassed Sasuke / Embarassed Naruto**

**5) More of Sasuke POV / More of Naruto POV**

And that will be all. If you answer, I thank you very much as it will help me futher into the story. Enjoy my second (corrected version) chapter for A Lighthouse's Tale. Oh, and I know I said that chapter 3 would be up, but… ne. This is good enough, right?

_**SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU SASUNARU**_

A Lighthouse's Tale

**Naruto's POV**

A sliver of sunlight peeked in through Naruto's draps, gently carressing the boys childish features. Even when he was asleep he looked like an angel… though, a slitghtly less-than-graceful angel. His arms and legs were spread wide, taking up the entire bed and his feet lay limply off the side. One arm hung down off the mattress, dangling above the ground. Naruto's covers were thrown into a bunch near the middle of his back where he had kicked them unconciously during his slumber. A spot of drool was visible on the white pillow, right underneath Naruto's half-open mouth. It was quite a funny sight actually. This 16 year old boy still sleeping on a small, twin-sized bed. But Naruto didn't care. It was, afterall, a bed, a place to sleep. What did he have to complain about?

Sasuke's POV 

Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't so optimistic about his new sleeping quarters. If you're ever wondering how comfortable a creaky, splintering wood floor is for sleeping on, Sasuke is your man because he did, afterall, sleep there at night. If one night was enough to give him a crick in his back and cause his muscles to spasm every once in a while, he didn't even want to think about what a whole year would be like on it. He could just imagine it now; being carried unconcious to the hospital on a stretcher due to infections from where splinters had dug in and been uncared for. And that was if he didn't drown first. Sleeping underneath (AN/ haha, dirty pictures, dirty pictures!!!) Naruto was probably not the most brilliant idea he'd ever experienced, considering the blond baka drooled enough to fill a pool and swim in it. There was a small puddle lying right next to Sasuke's pillow from a time in the night when Naruto's head had drooped off the side. Sasuke cursed gravity for pulling the idiot's spit down to land next to him. And that wasn't all the blond did in his sleep. He must have a fetish for ramen or something because every now and then, Sasuke could be awoken by a grumbling stomach and aformentioned boy moaning the word 'ramen… ramen…' over and over. Sasuke didn't know if he could handle living like this everyday. He'd for sure have a talk with his new boss. He seemed nice enough, anyway. Stupid fool. Niceties are for people you love, weaknesses. Niceties are unnecessary for survival. Why would you bother? It was just more troublesome for yourself (AN/ since when has HE been hanging out with Shikamaru? Jk) Slowly, the raven haired boy pushed himself up to sit and lean back against the wall, glancing over at the clock beside the little blond's bed. It read 5:12 a.m. Wonderful, he thought sarcastically. A whopping 3 full hours of sleep. Great way to start off the day. Without bothering to awaken the peacefully sleeping little boy, he trudged out of the room, a change of clothes tucked underneath his arms, heading routinely towards the bathroom. He grabbed the handle sloppily, still a little hazy from sleep. Swinging it open, he found that it was not, in fact, the bathroom but a closet… Damn, he thought, glaring at the piles of stuff as if it were their fault that he'd walked into the wrong room.

Garbage. That's what Sasuke thought this closet was full of. There was old, worn-out t-shirts with holes underneath the armpits and along the hemline and jeans with a rip or tear across the knee. Paint was spattered over every single piece of clothing, marring the surfaces with white and black blotches. In one corner there was a pile of old soccer stuff; shin pads, cleats, socks (ew…), deflated soccer ball, etc. Now that he thought about it, he had noticed that soccer ball sitting outside on the deck from when he had first arrived here. Hmm, wonder if the blond baka (his newly appointed name for Naruto) plays soccer? He thought to himself. In the other corner, however, was something Sasuke became curious at. There was a large white box with the word Nike printed on the side. Naturally, Sasuke assumed that it was just an empty box from the purchase of soccer cleats, but then he noticed something writen in bold, messy writing on the top.

'S-E-C-R-E-T' it spelled out. Sasuke nearly scoffed. Oh, yeah, very inconspicuous. Obviously this thing was pretty old as the writing looked like chicken scratch and the box was worn a tattered, and on top of if all it was of no importance to Sasuke. Still…

Sasuke crouched down on the balls of his feet, leaning forward slightly to grab the box. He flopped backwards on his butt to sit more comfortably as he removed the top. First, there was a layer of paper, as if whoever had created it hadn't wanted anyone to see what was underneath (AN/ well, duh. What do you expect out of a box that literally has 'secret' printed on it?!). Without a second thought, he removed the papers from the top of the box, uncovering whatever was underneath. The first thing that caught Sasuke's eye was a handmade picture of what Sasuke assumed was a boy and a man, holding hands while a sun shown brightly in the top right corner. The color was sloppily put on, often goint outside of the lines… If Sasuke had ever gone out of the lines when he was little, he'd have gotten punished for it. And it's a wonder why Sasuke never liked drawing…

Studying the picture closer, he noticed that the boy, with his messily drawn spiky hair, looked a lot like Naruto… and naturally, at first glance he'd thought that the other man was Iruka, but considering the matching bright blond hair and mirror-image starry blue eyes of the younger boy, it looked nothing like the other older brown-haired man. In fact, it looked exactly like an older version of the little Naruto. Maybe it was his dad… but then, what was he doing living with this Iruka guy? Could he have possibly run away from home too? Maybe his parents had mistreated him also… Sasuke stared silently at the picture, not really looking at it… just… thinking. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he began to scold himself for even considering asking Naruto about this. Talking to him meant being nice and being nice to the annoying blond was not on Sasuke's top things to do. Why? Because Naruto seemed like the type of boy where, if you ever gave them any reason to hope for friendship, he'd latch on to it as if it were a life perserver and he was drowning. And Sasuke didn't want that… ever. It would just require the same tedious procedure as when he was at home and others had tried to befriend him. First he would have to convince them that he did not, in fact, want to be their friend, avoid them until they either forgot about him or just plain gave up, and then finally things would slowly go back to normal… where he was alone and unbothered by these other unworthy people. That's just the way he liked it, and he wasn't going to change.

Taking one last look at the colorful picture, he placed it gently back into the box, not knowing why he even bothered as it shouldn't matter what happened to someone else's stuff. He was just about to put the lid back on when something small caught his eye. It was a small pocket of some sort that must have been hand-made into the side of the box. Silently, he dropped the lid back by his side, lifting everything else in the box to the side so he could get a better look. Sure enough, a strip of cloth had been used as a make-shift material for the pocket which was somehow sown into the cardboard with yarn. With one hand keeping the other things in the box out of his way, he began digging around inside the pocket with his other hand. His fingers hit something and curiosity got the better of him. With one swift tug, the thing was free of its binding and clutched tightly by Sasuke's hand. Turning it over in curiosuty, Sasuke found it to be nothing more than a few folded pieces of parchment. How odd, he thought, slowly unfolding the papers. The top paper was a photograph of couple, their arms linked together as they smiled warmly for the camera, not giving off the usual sense of fake happiness. The woman was about a good foot or so shorter than the male, her sleek black hair running down to her waist. (1) Her electric blue eyes pierced the camera lense, filled with so much light and fullness. The man had bright blond, spiky hair that was messily arranged with a headband that was tied around his forehead. His eyes were a deep sea blue. Sasuke felt like he was looking down into the ocean when he saw those eyes… so deep and understanding and… loving.

Finally, he flipped the paper over, putting in the back of the small pile in his palm. The next paper was a certificate… A death certificate. The words sent chills down the cold raven's spine and for some reason he couldn't look away. Death certificate…? Of who?…

_**Celest Uzumaki. Died at age: 27. Reason for death: Water in the lungs, Fractured skull, Broken neck.**_

Oh… Sasuke inhaled deeply, sliding the certificate behind the picture of what Sasuke assumed were Naruto's parents. So his mother drowned… How… That must have…

Sasuke couldn't form the right word, his heart beating triple speed at the new information he'd just discovered. Something was wrong. His mind wasn't working correctly and his mouth couldn't form a coherent sentence if he tried… Trying to get rid of this foreign feeling, Sasuke began studying the other sheet of paper that had been folded into the secret compartment.

It looked like a newspaper article. The black print had a type-writer appearance and the edges were choppy, like some one had just ripped it out instead of taking the time to cut it. Sasuke scanned the article, looking for something of importance, when his eyes fell on a familiar blond, smiling face. It was a picture of Naruto's dad. In the newspaper? But… why? Sasuke didn't think he wanted to know, but he read ahead anyway.

_Kaito Uzumaki, a father of one, recently lost his wife to a tragic accident at Rock's Edge when her ship was caught in a wretched storm. Apparently, the pressure was too much for him, and his death had been declared as suicide…_

Sasuke's stomach lurched. Suicide… as in… Naruto's father had actually tried to kill himself. Sasuke suddenly felt very sick.

"Isn't it a bit early on in the job to go snooping around?" Sasuke froze, jerking his head around to face the smirking Iruka. He cursed himself for his unawareness, for not being able to hear his new boss approach.

"Hn…" he replied, stuffing everything back into the box… First went the cirtificate, than the article… Sasuke stared hard at the picture of Naruto's parents, suddenly finding it hard to return it to its previous place in the pocket. Silently, he slipped the picture into his sleeve before closing the lid on the box and stuffing it back into the bottom of the closet. It didn't seem like Iruka had seen his semi-act of theivery as he kept quiet about it, and for that, Sasuke was grateful, because he wouldn't be able to explain himself to the carmel-eyed man… In fact, he didn't even think he himself knew.

Oh well, he thought. He'd done it and there was no going back. Why dwell on something so trivial anyway? Standing up, he scooped his clothes up into his arms, looking Iruka dead in the eyes.

"Which way's the bathroom?"

Naruto's POV 

Naruto had been right in the middle of a dream about feasting on his favorite food, ramen, when he had been so _rudely _awakened by that stupid, annoying beeping sound of his alarm clock. I mean, this thing was the devil. It had no 'snooze button' and it was all the way on the other side of the room because that's where the only plug-in for Naruto's room was. This meant he had to drag himself out of bed just to turn the thing off.

"Nyyyaaaaaaa…" Naruto groaned sleepily, stretching his arms above his head and working out the muscles in his legs. With a yawn, the bright haired, sleepy-eyed boy flung the blankets off of him, swinging his legs off the side of his bed. Standing up, he began to pad over towards the never-ceasing beeping machine when his foot got twisted up in something, sending him flying helplessly to the floor. With a sound 'crash', he landed face first. He was now completely awake. Growling, he silently cursed whatever had tripped him. Pushing himself off the ground, he rubbed his face tenderly, babying himself as he sat back on his butt. He grabbed the blanket that had gotten wrapped around his ankle and glared heatedly at it, as if punishing it for its crime.

Wait… who's blanket it this? It wasn't Naruto's for sure. Naruto didn't own anything that was completely black… plus, all of his were hand made by Iruka, and therefore didn't have the quality and design this one had.

That's when something registered in Naruto's head… this blanket… that wasn't his… must mean…

SASUKE!!! With sudden, new-found energy, the blond shot up in the air, practically flying over to the alarm clock and slamming his fist down on it hard enough to break before bounding noisily out the door. Oh, ho ho! It was going to be a GREAT DAY!!! Afterall, he was going to have a FRIEND to work with! What could be better than that. Quietly humming to himself, he skipped towards the bathroom, smiling back at his reflection in the mirror. He turned the faucet on to cold, dipping his hands underneath the water before splashing it on his face. Brrrr. It was cold alright. But still, nothing better to wake you up. Quickly, he turned the faucet off, whipping the towel from it's rack. As he buried his face into the warm cloth, his mind strayed to all of the wonderful, exciting things he could do with this new boy. He could go swimming, running, biking… but best of all, he would have someone to TALK to! Naruto smiled, wiping the last bit of water off of his chin before hanging the towel back onto the rack. He began stripping off his clothes, throwing them into a small pile in the corner, before turning the shower on. Hejumped in, sliding the curtains back across and shivered as the unheated water shot down at him. He ran throught the usual procedures, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. and then jumped out as quickly as he could. Adrenaline spurred him on this morning, making everything he normally did seem so much more tedious. He wrapped a towel around his waist before walking back into his room, his feet leaving water marks the entire way.

Once he was dressed (orange shirt, old, worn-out blue jeans, and brown boots which clashed horribly) he found he was ready to go and greet his new, soon-to-be best friend!

Now… where was the mysterious other boy? He couldn't possibly be working already could he? No, not even Naruto was that enthusiastic about working. He began swinging open random doors, calling out for the raven-haired new kid.

"Sasuke?… Nope," he said, slamming the closet door behind him. Why had he even bothered to check in the closet? (AN/ come on people. This is Naruto we're talking about here…) "SASUKE!!!" Flinging open the door to Iruka's bedroom, he found the bed to be already neatly made-up and dirty clothes placed in the basket in the corner of the room, his sleeping clothes lying on top. How long had he been asleep? Normally, he was always up before Iruka. In fact, Iruka considered Naruto to be his alarm clock, claiming that he wouldn't ever need one as long as Naruto was living with him. So… what time was it anyway?

Momentarily forgetting his current task, he clambered down to the kitchen, checking the clock on the wall on his way in. 7:15, it read. DAMMIT! He was late! No wonder nobody was here. Grabbing a piece of bread and shoving it into his mouth to hold until he could use his hands, he hurriedly ran towards the front door, slipping on his shoes clumsily. Leaning against the wall, he tapped his toe against the ground to help the heel pop out before shooting out the doorway.

"Gotta run! Gotta run!!!"Naruto flew around the corner, taking bites of his slice of bread, not catching a glimpse of the poor soul who he was going to barrel into.

BAM

Iruka groaned, trying to lift his head off the ground before letting it flop back down as he blacked out, unconcious from the powerful blow to the back of his head. Naruto tried to regain his breath as he lay on his back next to Iruka. Holy crap… what was that? He'd just knocked the air out of himself and was currently finding it hard to breath or think correctly. After regaining his sense of mind, he scrambled up on his knees as he surveyed the damage. Nothing on him, just momentary breath lost… but Iruka. Naruto began panicing as he saw the unmoving body of his only fatherly figure he'd ever known. He just stared at the peaceful looking man, eyes wide in horror. Memories were starting to come back.

"Iruka…?" no answer. "Iruka…" he tried, a bit louder this time. Still no answer. "DAMMIT! Iruka!! Wake up! This isn't funny!!!" still no answer. "No, no! Iruka! Don't die!!! PLEASE!!!" He placed his hands over the unconcious man's heart pumping up and down at a choppy pace. Was this what he was supposed to do? NO! this was for people who had drowned. Oh god, um, um… CPR?! No!!! SAME THING AS BEFORE!!! Oh shit, oh no. Naruto gripped his hair as he raked through his mind for SOMETHING to do. "Oh my god! I KILLED Iruka-senpai! SOMEBODY!!! HELP!!!"

He bent back over Iruka, studying his face for any signs of life. He couldn't be dead! No, he just COULDN'T! Oh, god… Thoughts and memories flew through the blond's head as he paniced, burying his head in his hands. Iruka couldn't die! He was all he had left!!! Naruto peeked through his fingers and stared helplessly at his loving father. It was all coming back to him now. The accident… the suicide… what would everyone think if they knew it was his fault? Just like now, he'd been the cause of his mother and father's death. He remembered the details clearly. He had been the one who wanted 'mommy' to come back home early, not waiting for the storm to end. HE had been the one who had asked her to sail through such a horrible storm. Why? Because he _missed_ her. He had been so selfish! Why couldn't he have waited one more day, just _one_ more day? Instead, he had to have her come RIGHT AWAY! He couldn't _possibly_ wait for the storm to end, oh, _no_!

And his father had been sure to remind him of this fact everyday. Every morning, he would wake up to the sound of choked sobs coming from his parents'… no, his _father's_… bedroom. He had walked silently to the door, opening it hesitantly before looking up at his dad with such regret and pain in his eyes. His father had just glared at him, his face losing all traces of sadness, before screaming, 'YOU! It was YOU! YOU put her through this! YOU were the one who made her travel through that storm! YOU were the one who RUINED my LIFE!' Then, with one final sob, his father had pointed to the door, burying his crumbling face into his vacant hand before whispering, 'Leave… just… leave.." Naruto stared helplessly at his father, his mouth wavering as he tried not to cry, all the while berrating himself for being such a stupid, greedy, selfish little boy. 'Papa…" his voice crackled with emotion. 'Papa… I'm s… sowwy… I'm so… so… sowwy!' he could feel his body shaking as he waited for his father's comfort, waited for the sign from his father that they could share their pain together and heal that pain together. But no sign came. Instead, his father just stood, looking down coldly at the shivering little Naruto momentarily before stumbling out the doorway, slamming it closed behind him.

With one more look at Iruka, Naruto knew he couldn't deal with another death. Not ANOTHER death…Oh… please, no.

"Stupid idiot…" A cold voice said, shaking Naruto out of his panic attack. The black-haired boy kneeled beside Naruto, gently laying his hands over the unconcious man's heart. Complete silence. Naruto stared in confusion at the quiet older boy, studying the way he was treating the situation. He was so calm, completely opposite of Naruto. In fact, Naruto's hands were sweating he was so scared. The other boy's pale face was uncreased at he sat, staring fixedly at Iruka's face, watching to see if he was breathing. His skin was pale, like porcelain… no… not porcelain… like the moon. Yes, like the moon, exactly like the moon. It practically glowed, contrasting sharply with his dark, midnight colored hair which hung loosely in his face as he bent over the lighthouse owner. But… some thing was off about this guy. Naruto could sense it. Some thing was just… not right. Tilting his head to the side, he looked the older boy over more crucially. What could be so off about this guy? He was basically the _image_ of perfection…

Then it hit Naruto. Image. Sasuke's cold exterior was an _image_. How could he have not noticed this before? Of course no one could be as cool and collected as him… and yet… Naruto couldn't help but wonder the reason the dark boy had created this… mask. Had something happened to him when he was little? Was it the same reason that made him leave his home, his friends, to move out to some out-of-the-way abandoned lighthouse? Naruto unconciously sighed in thought, alerting the other boy of his study. Sasuke turned cooly towards Naruto, his cold, hollow black eyes meeting Naruto's warm, full blue ones.

"He's not dead… you must have simply knocked him unconcious. Just carry him to his room." His voice held a tone of annoyance, like he _really_ didn't want to be there.

Naruto's mind was still stuck on his previous thoughts though. Why? Why had he moved out here? Why had he abanonded his _family_? His friends? His life? To what? Come out to this crappy, old abandoned lighthouse? What had been his reasoning behind his decisions? Why had he done all of that?

So many questions… Naruto's head hurt.

"What's up with you?" Though the question itself may have been considered to be one of care, his tone of voice defied this theory.

Naruto looked up at the stuck-up older boy furiously. Still, no matter what had actually happened, how could he be so cruel? "I'd like to ask the same question, bastard." Sasuke let a look of mild surprise pass over his features at the insult. No one had ever done that before, at least, not to him. "What's up with you that makes you so cold and mean? I mean, you seemed nice enough, but now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen you smile once here! So, why don't you tell me?! Tell me what the HELL could have caused you to turn out like _this_? And what the _hell_ gave you reason to move out here to RUIN everything for us?!" Naruto breathed heavily, his heart suddenly filling with regret. He shouldn't have done that. It wasn't his place to ask such questions. He had barely even started to remember the boy's name. Naruto had definitely crossed a line.

Sasuke sat silently, staring at the blond cooly, like he was unaffected by these insulting questions. "You wouldn't understand such a thing." He said it so simply, so coldly. And yet, Naruto saw the glazed look on his face, one that told him differently. So maybe somoething painful had happened to him… Just like something painful had happened to Naruto, so the blond boy knew not to push for anything so soon. It seemed like the boy still hadn't learned that while humans have the abbility to hurt, they also have the aibility to _heal_ that hurt (1). And Naruto saw it fit that he would be the one to teach him that. Deciding to clear the air, Naruto turned back towards the other boy, keeping his voice as cheerful and normal as possible.

"So," Naruto began, standing up finally and brushing the dirt off is pants. "You gunna help me carry him in? Or are you just gunna stand there like a lazy bastard, bastard?" Sasuke stared quizically at the now smiling blond. He had changed emotions so quickly. Something was up… he could feel it. But, something stopped him from coming up with a retort to swing back at the smaller boy. Something untangeble had stopped him from following through with his normal asshole mask he always wore. But… what?

Naruto nudged the silent boy with his foot, receiving a death glare for his efforts.

"Don't give me that look! I'm just waiting for your lazy ass to help me carry Iruka in."

"I never said I would.." Sasuke said icily.

"Technically, you didn't say it. But you did agree to it by saying you would do whatever Iruka-senpai wanted."

"Yes, I did agree to that… with Umino-san. Not you, idiot."

"Ah-ah-ah!" Naruto said mockingly, waving his finger in the older boy's scowling face. "But you seem to forget, that if Iruka is ever unable to do his job, like being unconcious, for example, the duties fall to me… which make me your boss. Now, do as I say, slave, and help me carry Iruka-senpai to his bedroom!"

Growling, Sasuke stood up, grabbing onto Iruka's ankles. "I'll do your bidding, I'll try my hardest not to insult you, but don't you EVER call me slave… ever… ever… again."

"Or what? You'll _kill_ me?" Naruto laughed.

"Worse…"

Naruto didn't doubt it.

**Line from 'Land of the Blindfolded. Vol. 1'**

**Okay, well, that chapter's done with, and now I can start writing well again. I guess you could say this was a filler chapter, but it was crucial, so don't complain too soon. You shall see what I mean… next chapter. Mwahahahaha…. Okay, nvm. Hope you enjoy the second chapter to… A Lighthouse's Tale.**

**Kimi**


	3. Chapter 3

Kimi – 

**Okay, here is the third chapter. I'm only planning on making this story 10-15 chapters, but if the need arises, I will type more. So yes, be prepared for long chapters (this is my very good reason for taking so damn long)**

Sasuke's POV 

Sasuke watched in slight amusment as the spazzy little blond rushed between the bathroom, the bedroom, and the kitchen for nearly thirty minutes straight. I mean, the boy would start panicing if Iruka so much as twitched. It was really quite hilarious. Resting his elbows on the desk behind him, Sasuke leaned casually back into the wood, kicking his feet back and forth as he sat comfortably, watching Naruto freak out.

Naruto dropped to his knees beside the bed, placing newly dampened cloth over Iruka's forhead, removing the old one and throwing it unceremoniously to the side. He stood back up, dusting off his pants before surveying the room. There was a platter of food (soup and crackers and milk) sitting on the bedside table, a new pair of clothes folded neatly at the foot of the bed, and everything else was already put away.

"Don't you think your being a bit dramatic? It was just a small bump to the head. He'll wake up soon." Sasuke said evenly, watching Naruto chew his lip in concentration. "I know…" Naruto finally replied. "But around here, a 'little bump' can mean serious troubles. There's no hospital around for miles and the doctor takes at least an hour or two to even get here, let alone diagnos the patient. It's just not as convenient as the stuff you might be used to." With a sigh, Naruto slumped onto the bedside along Iruka, looking down guiltily at the sleeping man's face. "I fell so horrid… I wish there was something else I could do to make it up to him…"

Sasuke thought for a moment before voicing his suggestion. "You could… finish his work for him…" Naruto turned to look quizically at the raven-haired boy. It was odd to see him converse this much.

"Yeah… I could… but some of it's a two person job… I guess it could work… if you're willing to help." Naruto looked hopefully at the silent boy.

"… I was hired here to help you guys work. Why would I not?" He pushed off the wooden desk, strolling over to the doorway. "Just tell me what to do.

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"Oomph!" Naruto grunted, pushing hard against the unbudging door that lead to the lighthouse's staircase. With a sigh, Naruto leaned away from the door before slamming back into it, causing it to give out a groan in protest. "Damn… door." Naruto panted, his shoulder digging painfully into the wood. "Never opens… easily for me…" Sasuke rolled his eyes, placing his body on the left side of Naruto's to help give an extra shove. With a sudden crack, the door swung open, leaving the two boys stumbling to regain their balance. While Sasuke had caught himself in time by planting his foot firmly before him, Naruto wasn't so prepared. With a cry of anguish, the smaller boy crashed to the ground, groaning as he rolled to his side. "Nng, I've always hated that damn door!" Naruto sat up on the cold, dusty floor, examining his hands and arms to check for damage. There were a few scratches here and there, but nothing too serious, and there wasn't any sign of blood. Just as he was about to stand back up, a pale aristocratic hand appeared in front of his face. He stared quizically at it for a moment.

"Are you going to take my hand or suffocate on all the dust clouds your creating down there?" Sasuke sighed, regreting his impulsive decision to help out the little blond. Naruto smiled, grasping the raven's hand as he pulled himself up to a standing position. "Thank you!" he said brightly, smiling at the slightly bewildered Sasuke.

"You're… welcome…" he said before following the unnaturally cheerful blond up the windng steps.

As soon as he reached the top, he was greeted with the sight of… bark? What the hell?

"Come on Sasuke, we don't have all day! I have to get done with work early today so that I have time to show Iruka one of my hideouts like I promised. This is no time to be stalling!"

"Says the boy who woke up an hour and 15 minutes late and almost killed our boss." Sasuke said sarcastically, relieving the blond of the heavy wood stacked in his arms.

"Shut up, bastard! You _could_ have woken me up, you know. So don't put all the blame on me!"

Sasuke shrugged. "You've been here for, what? 12 years? I'd think you'd have learned how to _wake yourself up_ by this point in time, lazy ass."

Naruto steamed silently, his mind fogging with anger. In a sudden burst of rage, Naruto shoved his armful of wood into the arms of Sasuke, causing the older boy to slam back against the wall none too gently. Sasuke gritted his teeth together, closing his eyes in an attempt to wash away the anger that was just barely beginning to boil in the pit of his stomach.

"If you don't want to start something, don't say things like that." Naruto said firmly, completely abandoning his previous cheerfulness.

"If you don't want to continue something, don't _do_ things like _that_!" Sasuke shot back, chucking the logs back at Naruto's chest. With a loud crash, Naruto, along with the logs, fell to the floor. Sasuke visibly winced, obviously he had not been expecting this to happen. He knelt down next to the heavily breathing boy, touching his shoulder lightly as if asking if he was alright.

Suddenly with no warning, Naruto sprang up and latched on to Sasuke, his legs wrapped around Sasuke's waist and arms thrown around his neck. The pair went tumbling down the first couple of stairs, their hands trying to keep the others at bay. Sasuke was, unfortunately for him, pinned underneath Naruto, whose arms were flailing dangerously around as he attempted to smack the cornered raven. The wooden steps dug painfully into Sasuke's back as he struggled to switch the positions. Tipping sideways, he brought them both down another set of stairs until he landed with Naruto finally underneath him.

"Get… off! You bastard! You're cutting… off my breathing… supply!!!" Naruto gasped from underneath the fuming older boy. Sasuke didn't give in though. He raised his fist, poised in the air for a good punch. Naruto saw this and began rocking his body back and forth in a desperate attempt to once again tip them sideways. Finally, Sasuke's body rolled off of his and they both went rolling down the steps until they were sprawled, beaten and bruised at the base of the stairs. Still, none of this deterred them from the original fight. In an instant, they were once again on each other, clawing angrily at the other's skin. It was like a battle of dominance. Who ever won was the alpha, the other… well, his fate would be sealed in the hands of the alpha.

Naruto suddenly found his mouth attached to Sasuke's shoulder as he bit down hard, not even stopping when he heard the writhing boy's moan of complaint. Reacting on pure instinct, Sasuke clawed desperately at Naruto's back, trying to get the blond's jaws removed from his shoulder. Still not able to unhinge the jaws of steel, Sasuke fumbled around the ground with his hands, feeling for something to throw at the boy. Coming up with nothing, he grabbed a fistful of mud and smeared it into the other boy's hair and face. Naruto recoiled, finally coming back to his senses as the cold, wet mud started to drip down his face and over his mouth, suddenly felt a flash of white-hot need for revenge run through his veins…

Which is why Sasuke ended up with a faceful of mud… Oh, he was not happy.

"Ah, shit… You dumbass! Look what you did!" Sasuke cried, standing up to survey the damage that idiot had done.

"You're the one who started it, bastard." Naruto retaliated, standing up to try and match Sasuke's height. "If you didn't want mud in your face, you shouldn't have put any in mine!"

"Well, if you hadn't freakin' been on top of me, then I wouldn't have had the NEED to, now would I?!" Sasuke screamed. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. This stupid little blond certainly knew how to grate on his nerves. No one had ever been able to affect the raven-haired boy like that before. At least, not to this extent. But, god, did he hate that kid…

Suddenly, an odd, snorting noise came from said blond, breaking Sasuke's calming act. He looked up sharply, glaring daggers at the boy for interupting his peaceful moment. Then, there it was again. Like a… piggish-snort, followed by… laughter? The blond idiot was LAUGHING at him?! Oh, now he was going to pay.

"What's so funny? Hm? Finally lost your mind?!" Sasuke advanced slowly towards the smiling blond. Naruto tried to withhold his smile, but failed miserably. He let out a final snort before doubling over in a fit of laughter. It was too much. Way too much.

Sasuke, however, was boiling inside. Who the FUCK did this guy think he was? Laughing at Sasuke like that. NOBODY, and I mean _nobody_, had ever laughed at him like that. No one ever dared. Either this guy had balls of steel or he was just plain retarded… Sasuke decided on the latter, watching the brown and green spattered boy fall to his knees as he wrapped his arms tightly around his sides which were shaking with laughter.

"What the HELL is so DAMN FUNNY?!?!" Sasuke snapped, throwing his arms out to his side desperately. He was getting impatient now.

Naruto looked up to lock eyes with the furious Sasuke. "Yo… Your face… Your hair! Oh god, the m… mud… haha, oh, just… look at us!" he said in between peels of laughter.

"The mud? What?" Sasuke looked down at his hands and body, suddenly realizeing what the idiot was laughing at…

He thought he looked funny.

Naruto thought Sasuke looked _funny_. Sasuke glared at the smaller boy. Naruto was still looking at him, howling with laughter.

Naruto's nose had a strip of brown mud down the center, a drop of the brown muck slowly slithering down to the corner of his mouth which was tilted up in a smile. Brown splotches covered his already worn-out clothes. Mud was plastered against his forhead and mixed in with his golden-blond hair. It would take a hell of a lot of work to get this stuff off.

. You know… now that Sasuke looked at it… it was… kind of funny. Of course, Sasuke wouldn't agree. Humor had never really been one of his favorite things… but this… Well, something moved in the raven-haired boy, giving him a strange new feeling. And before he knew it, Sasuke's lips started to lift slightly into a sort of messy smile. It wasn't beautiful, his smile. Oh, no. It was clumsy as he'd never really smiled much throughout his life… smiling seemed like such a rarity to the taller boy. But it felt good, nonetheless.

Naruto brightened as he saw this miraculous event occur, his bright azure eyes glittering with happiness. Naruto had just made the un-pleasable Sasuke… well, pleased! Naruto felt damn smug at that moment, and Sasuke could tell. Emmediately, Sasuke shut offall emotions except anger, covering up the smile he had just let loose. He glared down at the younger boy, his current expression trying to block out his embarassment.

"Listen…" Sasuke said, his voice dangerously low. "You are to tell _nobody_ of this… event. You hear? Nobody."

"Who am I going to tell? Iruka?" Naruto asked, smile still in tact. Sasuke scowled, ignoring the little blond's obviously true statement, before swiveling around and trudging back up the lighthouse stairs. Naruto smiled to himself, getting up to slowly trot behind the other boy.

Even though Sasuke wouldn't show it now…

He had made the stoic boy smile…

And it felt good…

**Ah, well, there you go. I finally put something akin to friendship in there. Personally, I like Naruto and Sasuke to be aquainted on a personal level before anything romantic happens, so be prepared for a little build up before the romance. Anyway, this is going to be my last chapter for about 2 weeks as I will be going to Washington D.C. on Monday. By the time I get back, I should have plenty of ideas on what to write though, so my next chapter will be really good! So yes, hope you're enjoying 'A Lighthouse's Tale'. - Kimi**


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys

I don't want you to think I've abandoned you all. I'm not exactly at home. In fact, right now, I'm in a cyber café in France! How cool is that? Anyway, I will be updating my stories as soon as I get home. Most of them are done, I just don't have the files here in France with me. So yes. I'm sorry for taking so long.

With love,

Kimi


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